Kale is the new green. Seriously, spinach has fallen to the way side over the last year for me since I found this luscious, leafy green. Not to mention, it's a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and packs a mean punch with cancer fighting compounds. Oh and did I mention that it's IBS friendly?

ANYWAY - enough science, that's never been my strong suit anyway, just call me the KALE QUEEN, since I go through an entire bulk bag a week, all by myself because I eat it every day.

I've been getting A LOT of questions on HOW I prepare my kale, so today I am sharing my secret - THE BROILER. Also famous for my No Grill Grilled Chicken

It's quick and easy to cook up your kale in bulk with minimal effort and maximum deliciousness, hello veggie prep made easy! And no, I am not referring to charred Kale Chips, that IS an option, but my method of prepping has you remove the kale from the broiler BEFORE it turns into chips so you're eating softened kale leaves, with hints of charring.

Now - I buy my Kale already cut and cleaned in a bag from Wegmans like this BUT if you buy it fresh you must FIRST clean and cut the kale up prior to cooking! This also will not work with Frozen Kale, which can be found at Trader Joe's!

BEFORE BEGINNING - IF you do not live alone, OPEN a window or light a candle, cooked kale is pungent to those who do not enjoy its goodness, I have been told it smells worse than IBS farts :)

Broil - do NOT use your broiler on high, your kale will burn!1. Turn broiler on2. Line a pan with aluminum foil, spread Kale across3. Cook Kale for about four minutes (or after two minutes, open your oven, mix the kale up and cook for another two minutes to avoid charring the kale)This is NOT a leave the kitchen method, you must stay close in case your kale crisps quicker than you anticipated!

Skillet Saute1. Spray a pan with Pam/Canola Oil or use Olive Oil (add salt, pepper, garlic, etc. if you desire)2. Add a heaping of kale, cook on medium heat until it begins to shrink and wilt downI saute my kale plain, I like it best this way but you could add seasoning!

Other Ways to Cook Kale in Bulk for Meal PrepBlanching1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil on high (again, add salt, pepper, garlic, etc. if you desire)2. Add kale to the pot3. Cook seven minutes or longer, depending how "soft" you want your kaleThis is my LEAST favorite way to eat kale, it becomes WAY too soggy in my opinion

- I love my kale plain, no seasoning, but feel free to go to town with whatever suits your taste buds- KALE BURNS QUICKLY - MONITOR YOUR BROIL METHOD, everyone's broiler works at different rates- Let Kale cool COMPLETELY before storing in tupperware containers. - If you store it in a plastic bag, stick in a paper towel to avoid moisture build up

Are you a Kale King or Queen? If not, what vegetable reigns on your plate kingdom nightly?

Whether you're celebrating Cinco De Mayo or just looking for a fiesta of flavor THIS easy, creamy, healthy taco dip or sauce is JUST what you need!

There is a lack of Celiac Safe Taco Seasoning and the only one I could find contained milk, so I started making my own, except the spice blend was irritating my IBS, so I stopped all together and relied on toppings to make my plain ground turkey have a taco flair.Except it wasn't the same.And I missed guacamole. (Silly FODMAPs)

SO, I CREATED THIS: Creamy, protein packed, and full of taco flavor with only four ingredients. Using greek yogurt instead of sour cream packs this dip with protein!

Use this as a dip for chips, or as a condiment for your tacos!

Depending on your taste preferences and amount you want to make you can use more or less of the ingredients below.

1. In a small bowl or the actual yogurt container, add in tomato paste, stir and taste. You want there to be more tomato flavor than yogurt2. Add in chili powder and cumin, taste, adjust seasoning if necessary

Options for Eating

Use as a dip for tortilla chips, cut up peppers, snap peas, other raw veggies

Use as the base layer for a dip, top with tomatoes, lettuce and cheese like this

Mix your ground turkey with this or top your ground turkey tacos with this as a fiesta of flavor and guacamole substitute.

Mix in with shredded chicken for chicken tacos

Tips/Notes- Adjust the amount of ingredients used, depending on how much dip or sauce you want- Extra dip can be refrigerated and saved in an airtight container for up to five days- Greek Yogurt pumps up the protein content of this, but sour cream could be used i you can tolerate it

I love grilled/roasted veggies! There's just something about the charring and roasting of a vegetable's exterior that makes it that much more enjoyable. I don't own a grill, and using my grill pan to roast peppers once before turned out quite catastrophic. Smoke was everywhere, the alarm wouldn't stop going off and I had to air out my apartment for hours...SO I gave up on having roasted peppers at my apartment, until I got the idea to use the broiler! Behold, the broiler method of roasting peppers!

I am warning you, THIS method requires extensive babysitting in the kitchen, since using the broiler chars the peppers MUCH faster than baking them would! Be prepared to hang out close by or in the kitchen!

1. Line a pan with aluminum foil2. Turn your broiler on High, make sure there's 5-8 inches of space between your broiler and where the peppers will be placed, if the peppers are too close, they will char before they've gotten a chance to cook3. Plop peppers onto the pan (keep them whole)4. EVERY FIVE MINUTES, turn the peppers, to evenly roast each side, for a total of 20-25 minutes(this means about four to five rotations of five minute intervals)

At this point, if your peppers are black, NO WORRIES! You're going to peel them anyway!

Now comes the fun and messy part, seeding and peeling!1. Let peppers cool a bit, otherwise you WILL burn your hands while trying to peel and seed!2. Slice the pepper from top to bottom (vertically) and lay the pepper open. It should be in one strip3. Pull the stem off, it should come off pretty easily, and along with it, a clump of the seeds.4. Wipe away an extra seeds that are still hanging out inside your pepper5. Flip the pepper over and peel off the skin, it should come off with little effort. If you like the charred taste, leave some bits of skin on!6. Slice the peppers into thin strips7. Place on a plate, with a paper towel down to absorb some of the liquid8. Serve as a side to your meal, or place on top of your just prepared dish!

Tips/Notes- DO NOT LEAVE THE KITCHEN DURING THIS PROCESS, unless you'll be back in under five minutes of you WILL burn the peppers and make your smoke alarm sing

- Store peppers in an air-tight container

- Use as a topping for salads, tacos, steak, chicken

- Keep the pepper in one long strip and ROLL your meat up with the roasted pepper!

Dinner time is where I make sure I "get my greens in." Every night, you are bound to find at least one form of vegetable on my plate. My go-to side, that I never get sick of is a medley of green beans and mushrooms. It sounds fancy and expensive, but it's cheap and easy as 1, 2, 3. With Summer in full swing, this is the perfect side dish to serve at parties or offer to bring when someone else is hosting. It's quick and easy, and cost efficient! I'm all about saving money so I use frozen french cut green beans (99 cents a bag at the wonderful Wegmans) and buy mushrooms for 1.99 or even cheaper, if they're on sale at Aldi's (A no frills grocery store that typically has lower prices than the average grocery store)

BEFORE EVEN READING THE RECIPE DECIDE: One pan or two? Depending on how spirited I'm feeling, I decide if I will use one or two pans.Two Pans: Cook the mushrooms and green beans separately to ensure the green beans get as crispy as possible then combine the two for a few final minutes to cook together One Pan: Cook them together in one pan, adding the green beans in after, since the mushrooms will take longer to soften and cookBoth methods work well, just depends on how crispy you like your green beans!

Green Beans & Mushroom Saute1. Wash and clean the mushrooms, slice 2. Pour oil into a skillet, add mushrooms and start cooking on medium heat3. Microwave green beans for 2-3 minutes, DO NOT ADD WATER4. Drain any excess water from green beans5. Continue to cook mushrooms, continuously stirring until they become darker in color and absorb the oil6. Pick one or two pan method:Two Pans - Add the green beans to a skillet with a small amount of oil and cook on medium heat stirring every so often, add a hint of salt and pepperOne Pan - Add green beans to the mushroom pan with salt and pepper to taste, continuing to cook on medium heat, while stirring every so often7. Continue to cook until:a)your green beans reached desired crispiness, then combine with mushrooms for a final few minutes to combine the flavorsORb)until the green beans are warm enough to eat

Serve up with your main course as a tasty side dish that looks a lot fancier than it actually is!

These were cooked with the one pan method, note how the green beans are not crispy. This is because my family does not like crispy green beans, but these were too beautiful to not photograph! And they were still delicious, just lacking that crispiness I crave!

Sometimes, I just want gobbly, greasy food. I'm talkin' a big ol' juicy burger and a pile of french fries. Except there's a few problems with my fondness for French Fries:1. Many restaurants do not have a separate fryer apart from gluten containing foods, so the fries are contaminated2. Most pre-packaged fries are not gluten free/have way too many ingredients in them I cannot pronounce3. I am very lazy and it's tough work to cut up a potato and make your own fries!

SO, to satisfy my craving in a safe and simple way, I bring you GREEN BEAN "FRIES," tastes like french fries but add a serving of veggies to your meal, now that's what I'm talkin' about. The perfect addition to any summer BBQ meal!